Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 16, Episode 11 - The Witness - full transcript

Announcer: Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Boy, I said for you to take your
feet off that seat and sit up like a man

so I can take a look at
that baby face of yours.

Man: What's that?

Is your name
Pickett? Ira Pickett?

Just about given up hopes of
ever running into you again, Pickett.

Well, it sure is one
small world, ain't it?

We're gonna have trouble here.

Yeah.

You got something to say
to me, mister, spit it out.

Don't keep dancing around it.



I had a brother in the
Lincoln County Wars,

and they said it was
you that killed him.

I never heard of no war
where some blamed fool

didn't swallow what
he couldn't chew.

Now, you all witnessed that.

He pulled iron on me.

It's nothing more than a
case of abject self-defense.

You murdered that man.

Got something
more to say, old man?

No.

Anybody else got
anything to say?

All right.

I'm holding you for
the marshal at Dodge.

All right, mister. Get over
in that seat and sit tight.



Train must have pulled
out, Pa. Ira ain't here.

Had some trouble here?

- We had it on the train.
- Oh.

Just a shootin'. Kid
named Ira Pickett.

Oh, not him. He's
the one who got shot.

Pickett killed him.

Ah.

Marshal's got him in jail.

Violence and bloodshed.

Don't know what this great
land of ours is coming to.

I dare say they got enough
witnesses to hang 'em ten times over.

Well, they got two.

Don't take but one sober
witness to hang a man.

Well, Judge Brooker will
probably be here about 3:00

if that's all right
with you boys.

- You bet, Marshal.
- You can count on me, Marshal.

Hurry now, can't you?

Come on. Tell me right
now what happened.

All about it, Jared Sprague,
before I just die of curiosity.

Don't just sit there and
play like a big hero, you.

Come on. What happened?

Did you shoot him?

Well? What'd the Marshal say?

Just... Just hush up about it.

It wasn't no great
big business at all.

Woman: Well, it was.
Most certainly was.

I had the whole town talking
about how you, Mr. Jared Sprague,

captured a wild gunman,
held him prisoner.

Now, now, don't be raggin'
him to death about what he did.

Well, what did he do?
That's all I'm askin'.

He did what any
brave man would do...

His duty.

Somebody meet with some
embarrassment on that train?

You might call it that.

I'd call it cold-blooded
murder, myself.

And you seen the bloody deed
committed right in front of your own eyes.

Plenty of 'em seen it.

Didn't have the
gumption to talk up.

Just me and Arnie Sprague.

Must have been
a fright to behold.

Not half the fright
that boy's gonna feel

when they put a rope under
his chin and give it a sharp tug.

That's for sure.

- Pleasure to meet you.
- All right, Rocky. Come on.

Looks like your brother's
been a little negligent.

We gonna bust him out?

Well, what if they're
gonna hang him?

It'd be a salutary
lesson to the boy,

but you can't hang a
man without no trial.

And you can't have no
trail without witnesses.

How come you had to
arrest him? All I'm asking.

Oh, I didn't have to. Just
happened to be situated right.

Oh, you should have
seen him, Martha.

Wasn't nobody else
on that railroad car

with spunk enough to say
boo if Jared hadn't nailed him.

Yeah, the others except for old Beecher
and Pa wouldn't even admit they seen it.

Isn't that right, Jared?

Guess so.

Pa sure let 'em
know where he stood.

Well, you did a fine
thing, both of you.

But I'd just as soon you'd
let the heroics to other folks.

You might have been hurt.

Well, maybe. Maybe.

But you can't let yourself
think about those things.

- Otherwise we wouldn't have no law.
- That's right.

I'm over here.

What is it?

Who are ya?

I ask ya what ya want.

Mr. Beecher, sir?

I'm Beecher. What you want?

You're holding up the wheels
of justice, brother Beecher.

I got plenty of time.

Get your foot off that block.

Get it off!

Don't move that block!
Wagon'll come down!

Jared, it's past 2:00.

You coming to town with me,
you better get a clean shirt on.

All right, Pa.

Hurry it, too. Judges
don't like to be kept waitin'.

Nice day for a hangin', as
my old daddy used to say.

Uh, would you mind
pointing that some other way?

Who are you?

You are by way of being in the
cattle business, Mr. Sprague?

Got no stock for sale now.

Saw more than 100 head
just over the hill there.

If my vision ain't failin' me.

Well, they ain't for sale.

Not with prices down
the way they are.

- Excuse me.
- I ain't even started talking price.

Well, some other time.

I'm busy now.

No time like the present,

my daddy always used to say.

Who are you?

You're right. It's getting late.

Judge'll be mighty impatient.

What's that got to do with you?

I'm what you might
call an interested party.

Whose side?

There ain't but one
side being put up for trial.

The other party
being stone-cold dead.

Pickett.

Related to him?

By ties of rich, red blood, you
might say, me being his daddy and all.

That's my eldest, Joseph.

Well, mister, your boy is the
cold-bloodiest murderer I ever seen.

He is a powerful frisky,
high-spirited rascal.

There ain't no doubt in the
world whatsoever about that.

Frisky?

That boy looks to me like he'd as
soon kill a man as walk around him.

That's the way he's always been.

Straight to the point.

You know how things
been down Texas way.

These range wars and all.

Things got so disorderly, about the
only way to keep from shooting somebody

is to have two broken arms
and the wrong size cartridge.

My boy ain't never had
no quarrel with the law.

Until you poked
your beak into it.

Oh, that's what you here for.

Plead with me not to
witness against your boy.

Now, Arnie, I wouldn't
dream of driving to advise

a four-square, upright
citizen like yourself.

It's just that if my precious boy
is indicted to stand trial for murder

in front of that cruel judge

that'd hang a man
as soon as look at him,

if I was you, I just wouldn't
bother coming home at all.

Ain't you gonna ask me why not?

- Why not?
- On account of there'd be nobody left

to come home to.

♪♪

Me and old Beecher already...
told the marshal what we seen.

I mean, had us both there

in his office right
after the killing.

That word does have an
unfriendly ring to it, don't it, Joseph?

That's how Beecher said it, too.

Seem like we persuaded old
brother Beecher it was all a mistake.

If I was you, I'd stop by and see
how he feels on your way into town.

I could be wrong, but be
worth your while to check.

Pa.

Now, Arnie, I'd just tell
your ladies a little white fib.

No use getting them all
excited and hard to control.

Uh, Martha, these gentlemen
are here to look at some stock.

Mr. Osgood, ma'am, up from
Oklahoma. This is my son Joseph.

All the way from Oklahoma?

A good name's better
than precious jewels,

my old daddy used to say,

and your husband has
that in abundance, ma'am.

Why, thank you
kindly for that, sir.

Now, let me get you something
to eat. You must be starved.

Ravenous, ma'am. Ravenous.

I'll just go right in
and fix up two plates.

Uh, Jared, I think
you better stay home.

Well, you don't know what
the judge might want to ask me.

I mean, I'm the
one who took him.

Excuse me, son. You say
you were the one that took him?

Well, yeah. Yeah, I guess I
was the one who put him down.

Well, now, ain't that a caution.

Young fella like you
showing all that spunk?

You must be real proud
of him, Mr. Sprague.

- Can I go?
- Yeah. Let's go.

You better handle
that boy, mister.

He might say a word
too much to the marshal.

You hurry right on back here.

I mean, don't
leave a loving father

hanging on the tender hooks
of unbearable suspense.

And, Sprague, you look
to Beecher on your way.

♪♪

Whoa.

Wendell?

Wendell Beecher?
It's Arnie Sprague.

He should be around.
It's near time to head in.

Pa?

Matt, my best guess would be that
he's been dead two or three hours.

Thanks, Doc.

How'd you happen
to find him, Arnie?

Well, we just passed by his
place on the way in, you know?

Thought we'd stop
by and pick him up.

He was just under
the wagon. Dead.

Well, did you see
anybody else out there?

No. No, uh, he must have
been fixing an axletree

and the block slipped
out from under the wagon.

Sure sorry Arnie had to
leave for town so soon,

but you know how it is.

The law don't like
to be kept waiting.

That is a true statement.

Especially with my pa bein' right there,
as close to the killing as I am to you.

And my brother being one
that caught the murderer.

You got a high-spirited boy, Mrs.
Sprague, just like my young one.

Oh, I got a younger
son than Joseph here.

Handsome as a Greek
god, if I do say so myself.

I know it ain't good manners for a
man to boast about the fruit of his loins,

but... Well, tell about
him, Mr. Osgood.

Did I say handsome?

Well, he ain't no milksop.

And yet, would you credit that a boy
in the full flower of vigorous manhood

in this licentious and
no-account day and age

is determined to keep himself
pure for the right woman?

Joseph, seems to me
we need a way to pay back

for this bountiful
meal we've had.

Them couple of rifles there.

The hand you've
got with firearms

might just be you can
give them a cleanin'.

Oh, no, Mr. Osgood.
That's not at all necessary.

My boy's never happier than
when his hands are busy, ma'am.

These are kinda
dirty, all right.

- Where's he at now?
- Who?

Well, I mean...

well, that... that other
son you were talking about.

Edda, just keep your
moony questions to yourself.

Oh, like a bad penny, you
just can't seem to lose him.

I wouldn't put it past that boy to
show up right here this very day.

All right, let's
get on with this.

You identify the accused?

I do. Yes, I do.

And you are prepared to
testify under solemn oath

that you did witness such
an act of willful homicide?

Well, I guess the easiest
thing in the world for me to do

would be to say yes and not
give it another thought, but...

Well, when...

the way I see it is a man's
life hanging in the balance.

I mean, I thought
and I thought about it...

and being as I just
woke up, you know,

I barely opened up my eyes...

and that car full
of smoke, and...

whole thing happening
in a split second like that,

and suddenly there was that
Texan lying there on the floor

with his gun next to him, I...

Well, I mean... you know...

Pa. You said you saw it.

Dang it all, son.

What I'm saying is that out
of a whole car full of people,

I mean, who am I to swear
that... To be the only one to swear

that it wasn't self-defense?

We're not asking you to say
anything about self-defense, Arnie.

All we're doing is asking
you to tell us what you saw.

What you told me
you saw this morning.

Well, I already told
you that, Marshal.

Did you see any of this, Jared?

The shot woke me up.

Wouldn't hardly
call that evidence

to warrant an indictment
for murder, would you?

The other witness being dead.

Well, I guess not, Judge.

Well then, there are no witnesses
prepared to testify to an act of homicide.

We can hardly
proceed any further.

The court releases the
accused for lack of evidence

and stands adjourned.

Arnie.

You mean we're gonna
let him go, Matthew?

What the judge said.

- Why'd you change your story?
- I didn't change it.

I'm just recollecting things
a little better, that's all.

Believe you're holdin' some
of my property, Marshal.

Give him his gun back, Festus.

And I can't really say
it's been a pleasure here.

Don't say anything.
Just get out of town.

And you might do a heap
better keeping that hog leg empty,

if you ask me.

Yeah? How's that?

'Cause you just don't
appreciate how lucky you are.

Lucky is what I
always am, old man.

I'm going where there's
short hours and long pay.

And where you fixing
to find a place like that?

Well, I got me a job
down in Clark County.

Oh, you mean down yonder where
that fence war ruckus is going on, huh?

I think you ask too
many questions, old man.

Uh, Mr. Osgood?

Ma, they're coming.

Ma.

Ma, they're coming.

- Whoa.
- Back so soon?

- What happened, Pa?
- Well, what happened?

- Nothin'.
- What do you mean nothin'?

Judge turned him
loose. Lack of evidence.

Lack of evidence?

But you and Mr. Beecher.

Well, old man Beecher
had an accident. Dead.

And the judge
figured that one man

half asleep when it happened

just wasn't enough.

Now, let me be. My head feels
like I been kicked by a horse.

Jared, you come back. Jared.

Edda, go fetch some water.

What is the matter with you?

Now, you tell me what
went on in that hearing.

- What your father...
- Pa...

he got scared of that
gunfighter grinning at him.

That's what's the matter.

Pa backed away from the truth.

All right, your
boy's a free man.

The Lord and all
his works be praised.

I knew in my heart all
the time he was innocent.

Told him where you were.

He's just gonna take long
enough to buy himself a clean shirt.

Now, isn't that just like him?

He always did hold cleanliness
right next to godliness.

All right, Pickett.
Our slate's clean.

Clean, brother
Sprague? Not quite.

What are you talking about?

Arnie, you don't
expect gratitude

like you done it purely out
of the goodness of your heart

after makin' us and the boy
miss out on a profitable venture

down in Clark
County... $500 a week.

500?

Helping preserve the
sacredness of private property.

But now the man needs
us and we ain't there.

He's liable to have
hired somebody else.

As a man of business, wouldn't you
think that called for some restitution?

Like... like what?

Well, now, we have the
whole day to talk about that.

♪♪

It's too much of a coincidence.

I knew Beecher pretty well, and he just
wasn't a careless man about anything.

Well, you're right about that.

No question was what killed
him with a wagon falling on him,

but was it an accident?

Well, I keep remembering
the look on Arnie's son

when Arnie changed his story.

He was more
surprised than I was.

Matthew, out yonder
at the old Beecher place,

all them tracks, wagon tracks
and cow tracks all mixed up,

I couldn't follow it no
further than the creek.

And then I just wound
up where I started at.

Well, we're just gonna
have to call it an accident.

Unless somebody comes
up with some more evidence.

You sure Ira Pickett said this
job of his was in Clark County?

Long pay and short hours.
That's the way he put it.

Clark County, is that the
Franks and the Crabtrees again?

Matthew: Looks like it, Kitty.

Every time we get 'em settled
down, they start into it again.

I think everybody down that way's
a little edgy because of the drought.

I seen old Ira right now,

and looked like he's
headed right that way.

Well, I'm gonna send off a
telegram to Sheriff Rodgers.

See if there's been any
gunfighters brought in down there.

Okay, Matthew.

Well, Doc, how's the beer today?

Oh, it's fine. It's
just awful good.

Very good.

Sam, pour Festus
a beer on the house.

Oh, much obliged
to you, Miss Kitty.

How in thunder is it that you
never have the price of a beer,

and then you can afford
to turn down work, too?

Well, I ain't turned
down nary a job, Doc.

You did, too. I happen to
know that old man Fletcher

offered you 15 cents a yard

for building a split-rail
fence. He turned it down.

I ain't turned it down yet, Doc,

I had to go out yonder and
look at old Fletcher's fence,

and I been a-doing
me some arithmeticking,

and I got it all set
down right here.

Is that what it is, or did a
turkey walk across there?

All right, smart aleck.

Just listen here.

A-figuring they'd be
about two yards of me

laying belly-down, flat-wise,

and five of me making ten yards,

and them ten meaning five of me,

coming to $1.50,

but allowing that I'm just a
mite littler than two yards,

so I'm a-taking off two cents
for every time I'm belly-down,

coming to $1.40.

And that ain't... that don't even
count of putting in the fence posts.

- No posts, huh?
- No, well...

I figuring to setting
them posts straight up,

side by each another,

figure they'd come to about ten

for half of me laying
belly-down flat-wise.

Well, now, if you was to get
all of your figurin' done here

and all your minus-ing
and the taking away,

well, a feller winds up
getting hisself short-changed.

♪♪

He's getting where he
don't understand nothing.

How long did it take
you to figure that out?

Oh, ain't so hard...

See, when a feller ain't
got no measuring stick,

you just kinda gotta make do.

Sam, pour Festus another beer.

Yes, ma'am.

Much obliged again, Miss Kitty.

I think I'll have a drink.

My my, little lady.

Where are you off to
with such great dispatch?

Oh, that milk cow.

She's got loose again and gone
down in the gulley over yonder.

Well, run on,
little miss, run on.

Leave the old folks like
me here to sit and rest.

Bye-bye.

Those two men.

Yeah? What about them?

Have they got anything to do with the
way you backtracked in front of the judge?

Now, listen, boy.

You're gonna get me
riled. They're cattle buyers.

Yeah, well, I thought you
wasn't gonna sell no stock.

I'm not.

All right, then what are
they still hanging around for?

- They're just waiting on someone.
- Who?

Keep your nose out of it.

- That's Ira Pickett.
- Son, come here.

Inside.

I thought them two weren't
like no cattle buyers I ever seen.

Yeah, well, now you know.
That's his father and his brother.

Oh, so that's why all of a sudden you
forgot what you seen with your own eyes.

I couldn't say
anything, could I?

Not with your mother
here and your sister here...

You could have at least told the marshal
why you were scared to open your mouth.

Now, don't tell me what
I could have done, boy.

Supposing the marshal
comes out here looking for them.

Who do you think'd be
the first one to get shot?

Yeah, well, I'd have told him.

That's 'cause you never
think of consequences.

Well, maybe. And maybe
you think of 'em too much, Pa.

I'm your pa, and I'm
still handling things.

You remember that.

Pa!

Put that squirrel gun away.

We can try to take 'em. Shoot
'em in the back if we have to.

They're professionals. They
probably killed more men than you...

Now, you just hand
that over gentle-like.

What other kinds of
guns you got around?

No kind.

Just got a couple of
rifles up at the house is all.

Joseph already
took care of them.

Well, well, well.

It's the fellas I
kinda owe a favor to.

You know, it'd be better all
around if you cleared out of this area.

- Better for who?
- Anyway, none of you got no call

to be staying around here now.

Now, you're so being
impolite, butcher boy.

Jared's right. You got no
call to hang around here.

- Can't leave just yet.
- Why not?

'Less I miss my guess, the marshal is
coming in from yonder to pay you a visit.

Ira, there's a gulley
over that ridge.

Cutest little gal down there,
rounding up a stray cow.

Brother Sprague's
maiden daughter.

Keep an eye on her
till that marshal leaves.

- Hey, hold it. hey.
- Now, now, brother Sprague.

You just gotta get out of the
habit of doing impulsive things.

So far you've been
running in powerful luck.

More than a man
usually has coming.

So you and your boy take good
stock of your present fortunes

and you be saying the right
things in front of that marshal.

He may know who you are.

No, we never had the pleasure
of meeting the Dodge Marshal,

Joseph and me.

But you better say a little prayer
we do look like cattle buyers to him.

- Hello, Marshal.
- Martha.

Marshal, like to have
you meet Mr. Osgood.

And his son Joseph.

- Marshal.
- Cattle buyers from Oklahoma.

Just closed the deal here
with Mr. Sprague. 100 head.

Well, he sells fine cattle.

He drives a hard bargain, too.

But I reckon I still
got the best of him.

We'll drive 'em
off in the morning,

soon as my partner turns up.

Arnie, I, uh, wonder if I could
talk to you alone for a minute.

If you'll excuse us.

Sure thing, Marshal.
Pleasure to meet ya.

Arnie, uh, I'm wondering if
anybody's been threatening you.

- Threatening me?
- Yeah, trying to make you back off

from telling the judge what you
know about that killing on the train.

- I told him.
- Not what you told me.

Well, I've had a little time to
think about what I really did see.

Being as I was half asleep
when it did happen, you know?

Beecher being
killed this morning,

anybody try to make you feel
the same might happen to you?

Hang it all, Marshal. I
told you what I could.

I done my duty.

Now, you know any other man
ain't got a right to push me for more.

All right.

Uh, how about a cup
of coffee, Marshal?

No, no, thanks. I'll be
headin' back to town.

Well, Arnie, we wouldn't wanna
make a liar out of you, would we?

- Arnie: What do you mean?
- Those 100 head of cattle.

The marshal'd be mighty
suspicious if we didn't take 'em now.

You can see that.

Tough part is, Arnie, right now my credit
ain't so good as a snowball in Sonora.

But seeing as how
Ira's incarceration

has already left
us out of pocket,

I reckon we'll come
to a settlement

agreeable to everybody's
mutual satisfaction.

Get your sister
back here right away.

Joseph, get your horse. Tell
your brother he can come back.

♪♪

Let me give you a hand there.

Thank you.

Uh, you're Mr. Osgood's
boy, ain't you?

Mr. Osgood?

Uh-huh.

Yeah. Yes, ma'am.

I reckon now that you arrived,
you'll all be leavin' shortly, huh?

I thought we would be.

Now that I met all the family, I'm
inclined to have second thoughts.

Whatever do you do, Mr. Osgood?

Do, ma'am?

You don't look like
no ordinary cowboy.

No. No, ma'am.

Well, I mean, my
way of thinking,

be ordinary is to
be buried alive.

I mean, I believe that a
man is given one cup of life.

And he that don't drain it to
the very dregs, why, he just ain't

properly grateful
to the good Lord.

Well, then you'll be
stayin' for a little while.

You reckon your
business can wait?

Ma'am, there's things in this world
for which a man has got to be prepared

to make a small
sacrifice now and again.

Pa's been wondering
what's holding you up.

Good reason, brother.

Thank you.

All right? Now, you see
what they're trying to do?

How they got him buffaloed?

And now they gonna start
in on her with that killer.

Now, Ma, we can't sit still.

There ain't nothing
you can do right now.

And your father, I don't
know how he came to this.

Those men are killers, all
the whole bunch of them.

And Pa is afraid.

And so am I, Jared,

and so had you better be until
we find some way to help ourselves.

Marshal finds out
your boy's here,

he's gonna have you
all roped and branded.

Well, Arnie, there ain't nothin'
more natural in the world

than for the boy to come and thank
the man who saved him from the noose.

Resisting the shabby
temptation to be a hero for a day.

Look, you want that 100
head of cattle up there,

so go on and take 'em.

Right now.

I reckon I ain't too old
to start from scratch.

Thank you kindly
for extending credit

in the spirit of such
brotherly compassion.

Kinda late in the day to start
driving cattle, don't you think?

My young one all tuckered out

from them sleepless
hours in that fearful jail.

Well, you still got
time to round 'em up.

I think first thing in
the morning will do fine.

♪ Cindy, Cindy, get along home ♪

♪ Get along home, Cindy, Cindy ♪

♪ I'll marry you sometime ♪

♪ She took me to her parlor ♪

♪ She cooled me with her fan ♪

♪ She swore I was
the prettiest thing ♪

♪ In the shape of mortal man ♪

♪ Cindy in the springtime ♪

♪ Cindy in the fall ♪

♪ If I can't have my own Cindy ♪

♪ I'll have no girl at all ♪

♪ I'll never marry Cindy ♪

♪ I'll tell you the reason why ♪

♪ Her neck's so
long and stringy ♪

♪ I'm afraid she'll never die ♪

♪ Get along home, Cindy, Cindy ♪

♪ Get along home ♪

♪ Get along home, Cindy, Cindy ♪

♪ I'll marry you sometime ♪

Take me, I couldn't carry a note
in a basket with three handles,

but that boy's got a voice like his
angel mother, God rest her soul.

She was good folks.
Not skittish and shiftless.

Look at him.

Setting there like a
toad frog on a hot stove.

Edda, don't tease your brother.

Oh, I can't stand him today.

If his face was any longer, his
jaw'd be down in the root cellar.

Caught one cowboy the judge
didn't even think was guilty.

Now he's trying to act
like a big, tough man.

That's enough out of you.

He even started
practicing with a gun.

Is that so?

Well, say, now, imagine that.

Where was this bit of devious
business performed, Miss Edda?

Right in his own room.

Practicing like a
fool boy, he was.

Now, I always say a boy don't
need to measure his manhood

by the amount of iron on him.

It's the iron in his
soul that counts.

We going into some rough
country tomorrow, boy.

We can use all the
guns we can get.

We'll be borrowing that gun,
I think is what my pa means.

I ain't got a gun.

What are you lying for, Jared?

He owes me a favor.

It's just an arm to worry about.

That was a great pity.
And unnecessary, too.

How bad is it, boy?

Osgood: Oh, he'll live,
brother Sprague, he'll live.

My son dispenses thoughtful
compassion when the need arises.

You get out of my house.

Yes, ma'am. Yes, indeed.

Sorry that such a pleasant
evening should end so.

- We'll bed down in the barn.
- You.

Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, missy.

Should anybody be
needing our services,

at least one of us will
be taking advantage

of that porch settee
throughout the night.

Let's hope we face
a new day tomorrow,

clear heads on each side.

I'll take the first watch, boys. You
have pleasant dreams, you hear?

He's asleep now.

I sure acted like a
plump little fool today.

You didn't know.

And you can't blame
yourself, either.

Who do you suggest I blame?

Him?

They'll be gone tomorrow.

And the cattle ain't important.

I'm not thinking about
the cattle, Martha.

I'm thinking about me.

I been so scared...

I haven't been able
to think straight.

I don't know, Martha.

A man gets old, he gets scared.

Sometimes I ask myself,
"What you scared for?"

More himself, maybe.

No, it's not true, Arnie.

He did right today.

He tried. He...

He didn't turn back.

There was an age
I was like him, too.

You know what's right
and you know what's wrong.

And you do what's right.

You don't back away.

Let the other man
fill up your steps.

Then you'll back away
again, and he keeps coming.

Always coming.

You just don't back away is all.

He just keeps coming.

He keeps on coming.

As long as you back away.

Marshal. This just come
in from Sheriff Rodgers.

Confirm Ira Pickett hired

along with father Osgood
Pickett and brother Joseph Pickett.

Osgood Pickett. Mr. Osgood.
Arnie introduced us.

And his son, Joseph.

Cattle people up
at Arnie's place.

It could be just a
coincidence. Maybe not.

- Hold things down here for me, will ya?
- Yes, sir. You bet.

You cookin'. Where's the women?

They're still asleep.

Sit down. You wanna eat?

Nah, I can wait
for my pa and Ira.

Saw them riding out earlier.

Where they going?

They're checking over the stock.

Ain't easy driving 100 head.

Might be leaving
you the yearlings.

Guess you figured we're gonna
have to take one of you along,

keep things peaceful back
here till we get to the border.

Eh, I figured.

That, uh, little gal of yours,

she be giving us less
trouble on the trail.

Figured that, too.

Ain't nothin' gonna
happen to her.

Got some eggs here. You
wanna start workin' on 'em?

Well, I am kinda
getting an appetite.

Yeah, ain't nothin'
gonna happen to her.

Cattle squares us.

Don't even breathe. You hear me?

Mister, you just
done the wrong thing.

Pa, he's got my gun!

Ira, back of the house.

- No, Jared.
- Get back in the parlor, and stay there.

Come on.

Better come out,
brother Sprague.

Think of them
womenfolks of yours.

I'm sure thinking of a
special one, Mr. Sprague.

Ira, get around the back of the
house where the womenfolk are.

How many bullets you got left?

Brother Sprague, that old
house make some fine kindlin',

you don't listen to sense.

Joseph, get under that
porch and set a match to it.

Pay a call on them
womenfolk, Pa.

Osgood: Be gentle, son.

We don't want brother Sprague
to think we don't mean well.

We're takin' a little
trip, Miss Edda.

Drop the gun.

All right, you other two. Throw
your guns out, come out of there.

Should have told me, Arnie.

Could have saved all this.

I'm sorry.

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